In pursuit of gold, the All India Football Federation has planned a series of exhibition matches so that the U-17 squad is in top form going into the U-17 World Cup. These friendlies are scheduled to be held in India later this year. Coach Luis Matos and his squad travel to Portugal this month, for an exposure tour that began on April 10. The team will camp in Portugal for 34 days, playing with top Portuguese youth clubs during the course of the trip.

The campaign will see the U-17 team playing friendlies against the U17 national teams of Italy and Portugal, as well as the U17 side of French Ligue 1 side – Paris Saint Germain.

The ‘Young Cubs’ are also set to participate in the tenth edition of the Lazio Cup. Held in the provinces of Latina and Frosinone, the Lazio Cup has a slot for international teams and is set to be held between 23rd and 28th of May.

In an interview with Goal, Kushal Das – the general secretary of the AIFF – said, “With six months or so to go for the U17 World Cup, the new coach wants to play tougher oppositions so that we know where we stand. We are also looking to play the national teams of Hungary and Austria, too.”

This tour serves as a great opportunity for the team to get some game time with tough opponents and build on their big game mentality ahead of the U-17 World Cup. The tournament is set to be played out from 6th Oct to 28 Oct 2017 in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Goa and Kerala.